News

Best of the best; chamber, school districts salute teachers of the year

The top teachers in Guadalupe County were honored recently at a reception sponsored by the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce Education Partnership Committee. The teachers of the year from the Seguin, Marion and Navarro school districts received a plaque and a certificate from U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar. The reception was held last week in Texas Lutheran University's Hein Dining Hall.

Weinert staffers suspended

(Seguin) -- Four staff members from Weinert Elementary School, including principal Cheri Hart, have been suspended. The workers were placed on administrative leave with pay last week after Child Protective Service officials began looking into an allegation of child injury on the campus.

Judy Peschel, SISD public information coordinator, says Superintendent Irene Garza sent a letter to parents last week explaining the situation, and offering assurances that the district was committed to protecting its student population.

"I can tell you that we have a teacher who was placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of an investigation of an alleged incident of possible physical injury of a student at school. In addition to that, we have three Weinert office staff members who have been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of an investigation or possible failure to properly report the alleged incident to appropriate officials," said Peschel.

Officials say they cannot comment on the investigation, but Peschel did confirm that the other employees placed on leave were a teacher, the school nurse and the attendance clerk. The names of those employees were not released.

"I really can't tell you -- other than we'll do a thorough investigation and then at the end of that investigation, we'll make determinations at that time. Part of the administrative leave, the employees are not going to be on the campus and therefore we've hired qualified substitutes assigned to their positions," said Peschel.

The alleged incident apparently happened earlier this semester, but district officials only learned about it last week.

Archery, fishing, climbing available at May Fest

(Seguin) -- Catch a fish. Climb a wall. Shoot a bow and arrow. There will be plenty of outdoor activities for kids this weekend as Sebastopol House State Historic Site hosts its annual May Fest.

Georgia Davis, Sebastopol manager, says that the event, which used to be called May Day, is being held at a later date this year because traditionally the first weekend in May has had bad weather. The name change is also new this year, and Davis says that's because May Day was a name that confused many people.

"We started calling it May Fest instead of May Day. I think because the name of the house is a Russian word, it's a Russian naval base on the Crimean Sea, people thought there was some connection between the Russian May Day. It provided for a little bit of confusion always and so we thought we're changing the weekend so it's the perfect time to change the name as well," said Davis.

Regardless of the name and date change, Davis says that this year's May Fest will still feature many of the great activities that it has in the past. "This year at May Fest we've got our three-sided climbing wall, we've got a catch and release fish tank. We have live music from a Celtic band who comes from Katy. We'll have snakes. Charlie Pritchard from the Luling Ice House Pottery is coming out again," said Davis. "We'll have the archery set up again. There will be lots of fun, lots of free fun for families."

There will also be a touch-pond for younger children, archery and other interactive activities. Davis encourages families to bring a picnic lunch to the event and enjoy festivities hosted by Texas Parks and Wildlife and Supporters of Sebastopol. The event is free and open to the public. May Fest will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Sebastopol, which is located at 704 Zorn St.

Rolling out the black and whites

Three Seguin Police officers will soon be patrolling the streets in new state-of-the-art cars featuring a new color scheme and look. Pictured are Interim Police Chief Reno Reiley, left, and Sgt. Kado Cato who worked to get the black and white design of the cars approved.

Police patrol cars get makeover

(Seguin) -- The Seguin Police Department will soon be sporting a new look as police officers patrol the town. The department recently received three new state-of-the-art patrol units with a black and white color scheme that starkly contrasts the current patrol car design.

The new patrol cars are 2008 Ford Crown Victorias featuring a white mid-section sandwiched between a black trunk and hood area. The words "Seguin Police" are written in bold black letters across the white doors. Sgt. Kado Cato, who chose the design and worked to get it approved, says that the two-toned color scheme was chosen based on several factors, including a study that showed public perception of police presence is stronger with black and white patrol cars.

"It's just something I always thought of. I always liked the black and whites. I've been a police officer for 15 years and I've always driven a white car, and they spend a lot of money putting graphics and different colors and things like that trying to make them stand out, when this is actually simple. I knew that everybody transitioned to white cars because of cost so I was just curious and I went to Ford and found out what the costs were for a two-toned paint, which is actually less than $400. So I put that in my proposal along with some case studies and some surveys that other agencies have done, and it just was feasible," said Cato.

"I could actually cut the price on the graphics that we have now to offset the paint, which you don't need a lot of graphics on there because the paint color, you know it's a cop car."

Cato says that the new color scheme also helps with recognition on the roadways. He says that internationally black and white cars represent law enforcement agencies, and this simple design just stands out more. The new cars also feature computer-programmed lights and are E-85 ethanol capable. Cato worked on the proposal to get the new car design approved for a little more than a year and a half, and he says that the department again went with the Crown Victorias because they tend to get better gas mileage than the Dodge Chargers that other departments are transitioning to.

Cato says that on average, the new cars cost about $200 more per car than the current vehicles. The vehicles are expected to last about five years based on use. Three officers will receive the new cars, and Cato says that which officers will receive them is based on a rotation system and current need. As the current cars wear out, Cato says that hopefully they will be replaced through the mid-year budget with the new design.

CMC Steel awards college scholarships

(Seguin) -- A local steel plant is continuing its tradition of making going to college a reality for area high school seniors. CMC Steel Texas this past week again issued out thousands of dollars in college scholarships. Phil Seidenberger, CMC-Texas executive vice president and general manager, says the annual tradition serves as a gift to the community as well as to the children of its employees.

"This year once again we're right under $190,000 in scholarships. We had 39 CMC family scholarships that went out this year, a very large group, and we did 10 community scholarships. In total, it's like $189,000. We also did some savings bonds for those who didn't make the final cut for the community scholarships. Of course we do a savings bond for a family member or student who's not going to college," said Seidenberger.

Seidenberger says after 43 years of contributing the four-year scholarships to local students, CMC continues to reap the benefits of better people and a better community.

"What I think a lot of it has to do with is the foresight of Marvin Selig. He was the believer in education and what's going to be our future and it kind of sets the tone I think everybody should look at, that our future is the education of our kids," said Seidenberger. CMC scholarships are being extended to students enrolled in different high schools. They include Seguin, Navarro, Marion, Stockdale, New Braunfels, East Central, Floresville, North Alleghenny Senior, Canyon, Poth, Edmond North, New Braunfels Christian, Reagan and Lifegate Christian.

Officers prepare for annual Cops and Kids Picnic

(Seguin) -- The race will soon be on as area children put their skills to the test against some of Seguin's finest. A tricycle race will be one of the featured events at this year's Cops and Kids Picnic, sponsored by the Seguin Police Department. Det. Sgt. Aaron Seidenberger, one of the officers who will be racing against area kids on a tricycle, says that the main idea behind the event is to let area children see officers in their normal attire and to relax and have fun with them.

"This is our fifth year in doing it and the main thing, as always, is for the children. The whole key is that the children are involved. They are the ones painting us, they are the ones putting whipped cream on, so this year we're going down to their level and we're going to race them on their bikes and we'll see how that goes," said Seidenberger.

In addition to the race, the picnic will also feature free food for children under 12 and over 100 bike giveaways. The 2008 Cops and Kids Picnic will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Max Starcke Park Large Pavilion.

City departments all play role in downtown revitalization

City employees prepare for an employee appreciation lunch and sport their "Pride in Public Service" shirts. Almost every department in the City of Seguin assists with programs and activities of the Main Street Program throughout the year. From the left are Greg Duenes, Ruben Perez and Pam Herrera.

By Mary Jo Filip, Seguin Main Street Program

(Seguin) -- Each year, the first week in May is set aside nationwide as Public Service Recognition Week. It’s a time to show appreciation to public service employees who work to provide basic services in our communities. The City of Seguin participated in activities including a proclamation, a contest to identify staff from baby photos, an appreciation BBQ lunch, and an employee T-shirt with the City logo and the saying “Pride in Public Service” on the back.

As the director of the Main Street Program this seemed like a good time to jump on the bandwagon and express appreciation for all the work that our city employees provide just in our downtown revitalization program.

Whenever a special event is held downtown, like Trade Days or Hats Off to Juan Seguin or any event held by another organization, many city departments are involved. A multi-page checklist helps organize these events, as most require assistance from multiple departments. For example, prior to Trade Days, the Public Works Department sends out the street sweeper to clean the streets around Central Park. Public works also drops and places the barricades to block off the streets as required.

The Facilities Department plays a big role in many downtown events. Using Trade Days as an example, department employees deliver trashcans downtown prior to the event. The day of Trade Days they show up early to place the trashcans, put up the Main Street tent and make sure all is in order in the park. At the end of the day they return, haul off all the trash and make sure all is in order once the vendors leave. The Electric Department also helps out, placing extension cords on light poles and dropping the larger electric outlet boxes in the park as needed. And the Health Inspector gets involved when food is served at events and the Fire Department evaluates event set-up for safety concerns.

Many events require security and assistance from the Police Department. Main Street Program Assistant Christy Hopper is a detail wizard, helping to orchestrate all actions required for the events. The really impressive part of working with our city staff for me is their wonderful attitude: these are truly fine people who strive to be helpful and I consider them my friends.

In the day-to-day operation of business downtown, other departments play a big role, like our Planning Department. The building officials and other staff assist with special use permits, zoning and variance issues and code compliance. When downtown-related ordinances are needed our city attorney is a huge help. When prospects arrive looking at downtown for investment opportunities then the Economic Development Department assists, providing information about Seguin and the surrounding area to provide a perspective on our market.

Even employees at the sewer and water plant get involved with downtown activities when improvements require their expertise. The Library staff has helped retrieve information and is a great resource when researching Seguin’s history. The Golf Course helps out by providing carts for the 4th of July and Animal Control has brought adoptable pets to events. Human Resources assists with evaluations and providing interns and volunteer help, and the Finance and Purchasing Department help with what seem to be one-of-a-kind requests due to the nature of the Main Street Program. The Utilities Warehouse keeps us on our toes, ordering supplies and getting all those street banners coordinated for downtown events.

Information Services staff is a great assistance with web page maintenance and keeping our computers running, which greatly increases our efficiency. And the support of our top city administrators for our downtown revitalization effort is sincerely appreciated along with their office staff for helping coordinate Main Street items.

The Main Street Program couldn’t function without the help of every single department in the City of Seguin. The support is appreciated year-round but Public Service Recognition Week is a good time to say so! Thank you all very much!

RFL top fundraisers

The Guadalupe County Relay for Life recently hosted its closing ceremonies where top fund-raising teams in addition to $1,000 + individual fundraisers were recognized. Standing from the left are Geri Bodin, Alexa Norman, Cathy Wensinger, Gloria Hall, Laura Stahl, Tina Preuss, Kay Martin and Donna Castillo. Seated from the left are Barbara Behal, Joey Preuss, Jim Johnson, Hailey Vogel, Joyce Even (top fundraiser with $3,091) and Joyce Boeing.

Zonta Club hosts guest speaker

From the left are Elaine Kalkwarf, Zonta Club program committee member, Coach Irma Lewis and Zonta Club President Linda Duncan. The Seguin Zonta Club recently hosted Coach Lewis to address their club. Coach Lewis spoke on her dreams and aspirations of using our outdoors as an educational tool for both the young and old, which ultimately resulted in the creation of our Seguin Outdoor Learning Center. At the end of her talk, and as a request of several members, she also spoke of her new group, the Sterling Silver Dancers who have performed at a San Antonio Spurs game. Coach Lewis commended the Zonta Club as a distinctive group of professional women who work toward the betterment of women both locally and worldwide.

Get your tickets now! Blood, Sweat & Tears brings anniversary tour to Seguin

The Seguin Education Foundation is bringing the classic rock-and-roll band Blood, Sweat & Tears to Seguin. The concert will be held June 14 in Jackson Auditorium. Tickets are $100 for the main level and grand tier of Jackson Auditorium. Tickets for the Upper Balcony area are $85. The ticket price includes admission to the concert and to the pre-party on the auditorium lawn that will feature wine, beer and hors d'oeuvres. Tickets can be be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 379-0325. A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible.

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